


Psycho Pass:  Sleepover

by SoelleKhiss



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Anime, F/M, Psycho-pass - Freeform, Psychopass, Romance, Shinkane - Freeform, mwpsb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-08 03:50:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12856128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoelleKhiss/pseuds/SoelleKhiss
Summary: When radical anarchists threaten her life, Inspector Akane Tsunemori finds that the best weapon to have at your side is not a Dominator, but a good hunting hound at your feet.





	Psycho Pass:  Sleepover

_Akane Tsunemori. Inspector Tsunemori_ , Kogami reminded himself. There was a clear delineation between their ranks: the huntsman and the hound. It was a line that, at least for him, grew thinner and more difficult to find the longer they worked together at the Ministry of Welfare.

She stood outside the door to his quarters just staring at the wall. One tap on the console would have announced her presence. Instead, her hands were clutched in front of her. The right one was bandaged in gauze, injured from the night’s mayhem. Another bandage partially covered her eye where a latent criminal had successfully taken aim with his fist. 

Though his Dominator had not judged the man fit to die, Kogami brandished his own form of justice before pulling the trigger. He doubted the criminal would ever raise that fist against anyone ever again, at least not without extensive surgery to repair the damage.

Akane was still dressed in the rain-soaked clothes she had been wearing when the perp knocked her off the causeway into the drainage pool. After shattering the man’s hand and paralyzing him, Kogami had found her clinging to a maintenance ladder. Fortunately for both of them, it was just rainwater from the recent storm. Still, there was a musty odor to it. His own clothes carried a hint of it from where he carried her to the medical drones to get checked out.

Though young, the Inspector was tough and getting tougher on the job, but this case had set her back. She got too close to where the dogs do their best work and learned that she, like all Inspectors, was mortal. There was a frightened, shell-shocked glaze over her eyes, which were usually lively and brilliant with optimism. He wondered what her psycho-pass looked like now. 

_Somewhere near clear and powder blue_ , he surmised. The scanners within the building would have flagged her otherwise.

His usual antics were generally enough to rouse the color in her cheeks; so, he struck a pose in the doorway. With one hand on his hip and the other pressed against the frame, he cued the control panel to open. “Can I help you, Inspector Tsunemori?”

She was startled by the abrupt opening of the door and stepped back in fear. “Mr. Kogami?” she replied in a small voice. “May I—may I come inside?”

Unsettled by the fragility in that voice, Kogami took a cautious step to the side. He let the culprit off too quickly, far too quickly for the amount of pain the man had caused his handler. “How’s the head?”

“Fine,” she whispered. Walking by him slowly and with deliberate steps, she grasped the collar of her wet jacket and pulled it tightly against her neck as if chilled.

Kogami narrowed his eyes. _Yep_ , _definitely should have killed the bastard._

The Enforcer slipped the knot of his tie and tossed it over the black suit jacket on the back of his couch. “You should have been home hours ago.”

“About that.” Akane turned to face him, her eyes welling with tears. 

“Afraid to go home? According to Ginoza, you shouldn’t be. Masaoka bagged two of the bad guys that were sending you death threats. Kagari bagged another; and I managed to bring down the last one. They’re all tucked away in an isolation facility across town.”

“Mr. Ginoza thinks I’m being paranoid.”

“What’s your gut telling you?”

“That this was just the probe, a test of the MWPSB’s response. It’s nothing more than a ploy to lower my guard. The real attack is yet to come.”

“Okay.” Kogami crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s the next play?”

“As long as I stay here in the building, it won’t end. I have to go home, sooner or later. I need to flush them out and put a stop to it once and for all.”

“So, what’s stopping you?” He leaned back against the couch. “Ginoza?”

“Resources. I could take a Dominator home with me, but signing one out would alert Ginoza. The last thing I need is another lecture. Or worse, him filing a report about my inability to work as an Inspector.”

“And if you’re right? If the bad guys come calling?”

“But if I’m wrong, it just gives him ammunition to say that I really am delusional.”

“He said that?”

“That exact word,” she replied in disbelief. “Mr. Kogami, I am anything but delusional!”

The color was returning to her cheeks. It was a good sign. Akane was a fighter, a thinker, as well as an overbearing optimist. Ginoza took significant pleasure in undermining her because of that inexperience and cheery disposition. Kogami felt his heart quicken and his hands ball into fists. He hated when Ginoza was cruel to her, but some battles were meant to be fought alone.

“So, that brings you back to other resources. Options?”

“I need to do something less conspicuous.” Akane looked up for the first time and met his eyes. Never one to let formality stand in the way of principle, she popped the question. “I was wondering if you would come home with me?”

“Now you’re talking like a real detective. The safest huntsman is the one with a hunting hound at her feet.” He snatched up the tie and wrapped it around his collar before shrugging into his jacket.

“You’ll come home with me?”

“If you smell something amiss, I do, too. The hell with Ginoza.” Kogami flipped his collar up and adjusted his tie. “If nothing happens, he’s none the wiser. No one is.” He flipped the collar back down and pulled his jacket collar over it. “But if the bad guys _do_ make an appearance, I’ll be there. End of story.”

“I’ll have a car ready for us in the underground garage.”

Kogami tapped a Spinel cigarette from the packet. Lighting the cigarette, he took a deep draw and savored the bitter taste in the back of his throat. “Then why do you look so spooked?”

“What if Ginoza finds out?”

“We were discussing a case. Can’t really explain why we were at your place. We just were. It got late. You were tired from our last investigation, not to mention injured. It’s not like you can just send an Enforcer home alone, right? I slept on the couch.”

“You’re a good man, Shinya Kogami.” For the first time since the night’s investigation, she managed a slight smile.

“Save it for my funeral. Let’s get you home.” 

They drove in silence for the entire ride to Akane’s apartment complex. Kogami sat behind the wheel as the navigation system took them on course. Hands behind his head, he pretended to be aloof, while staring at her from the corner of his eye. While she seemed relieved to be with him, her usual demeanor was diminished. 

_Exhaustion_ , he told himself, _and fear_. _Should have killed that perp._

If he had anything to do with it, tonight would be the last she lived in fear for her life from this group of latent criminals. They called themselves the PWO: the People’s Watch Organization. Anarchists, they had caused a good deal of mayhem across the city. A growing list of graffiti, vandalism, and cyber-threats were enough to attract the MWPSB’s attention. The ensuing investigation turned up a handful of miscreants who were unhappy with the status quo and looking to make noise, the wrong kind of noise, according to the Sibyl System.

Akane spearheaded the initial investigation that brought most of the foot soldiers of the PWO in for therapy in sanctioned facilities. While the main ringleaders were still at large, the group had been demeaned disorganized by Ginoza’s flippant observations. Therefore, they were no further threat; however, Akane had only cracked open a small cell. There were dozens of others across the city. It did not take long for them to regroup with death threats against Inspector Tsunemori and a cyber smear campaign against the Ministry of Welfare. The threats, considered idle by Ginoza and Chief Kasei, became realization when a small parcel bomb detonated outside the doors of the CID office. While no one was seriously hurt, it put Akane and MWPSB squarely in the crosshairs.

“This is my apartment.” Akane reached for the ID lock, but Kogami gently took her by the arm to stop her. “What? It’s locked.”

“Then unlock it, but I go in first. Stay in the corridor. If anything goes down, you get out and call for back up.” He grit his teeth as the fear returned to her eyes. “It’s just a precaution, Inspector.”

“Right.” She stepped back and let him get in front of her as the door opened.

“Welcome home, Akane Tsunemori!”

Kogami’s first reaction was defense. He swung his arms up to defend his face, while placing his body squarely in the door to protect Akane. 

“Deactivate home assistant!” The color in Akane’s cheeks now was from utter embarrassment. “Sorry. I forgot about Candy. Did she startle you, Mr. Kogami?”

“Even an Enforcer can’t do much against a hologram. The joys of living alone?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Stay here.” 

Kogami pulled the stun baton from his pocket. With a quick jerk of his wrist, he fully extended the wand and brandished it in an underhand defensive style as he ventured into the apartment. Despite the home assistant being deactivated, the interior lights came on with a soft warm glow that filled the living room with illumination. Discerning eyes were not at ease with the apparent quiet.

He carefully inspected a small open coat room and then moved from room to room until he was satisfied that there was no one on the premises. “Clear!” The Enforcer was not completely certain, but he didn’t want Akane standing unattended in the corridor. He finished his search of the apartment with a cursory scowl, and then was reminded of his ill manners when Akane paused to remove her shoes in the vestibule just inside the door.

“Sorry,” he apologized, neatly putting his shoes besides her. 

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Mr. Kogami. You were on the scent. There wasn’t time for house etiquette.” She smiled, genuinely, and went to the kitchen. “May I offer you something? A snack? Tea?”

“Tea, maybe, but later.” He scratched his head, still embarrassed by his lack of manners. “Why don’t you try and get some rest?”

“Shower first. I’m starting to smell like the duck pond at my grandmother’s old house.” She pulled open a linen closet and retrieved a pillow and a wool blanket. Laying them on the couch, she offered him an appreciative smile. “I can’t thank you enough, Mr. Kogami.”

“Save it,” he said curtly. “The night’s still young.”

“Good night, Mr. Kogami.”

“Rest easy, Inspector. Nothing’s going to happen to you on my watch.”

“I appreciate that.” She slipped into the bathroom and closed the sliding doors behind her.

Kogami watched the shadow of her feet moving from the threshold and listened to the sound of her clothing falling to the floor as she tossed them to the side. He made a mental note for himself. The doors were solid oak, a good fallback point in case of a home intrusion. 

The main apartment door was steel. It could be breached, but only with great force and noise. Not the mode of a would-be assassin. If anyone was getting into her apartment, they would have to hack the control panel. Akane’s home assistant, while annoying, might raise an alarm, but Kogami was confidant that hacking into the security system would certainly override and disable it from functioning. 

Examining a wooden umbrella stand near the door, Kogami picked it up and nodded. The weight of was just right. Putting it back on the floor, he gave it a push and was satisfied with the grating noise it made as he moved it. He placed the stand just behind the entrance. It would be enough to be discounted as an afterthought by an intruder, but tight enough to sound warning of the intrusion. 

The only other area of concern was a large window on the west side of the apartment. It was an unusual feature only because most modern apartments used wall holography to bring any design the homeowner could imagine into reality, complete with windows. Kogami stared through the glass and imagined Akane standing in the same spot with a warm cup of tea, looking out into the nightscape of the city.

The window, he realized, was actually a safety measure. Beyond it was a small, metal balcony, a fire escape, leading ten stories down to the pavement. While Akane often seemed to have her head in the clouds, she was above all things, practical. A high-tech maglock with an alarm kept the window secure from any outside entry. Kogami smiled to find an old-fashion, low tech solution as a back up. An weathered broom handle, cut down to size sat inside the groove. Without breaking the glass, there was no way to open the window from the outside.

_Clever girl._

Slipping the knot from his tie, he left it hanging across his chest and sat down on the couch. The high back of the couch faced the entrance to the apartment, so if an intruder did come in, they would not notice his presence right away. Kogami pulled off his jacket and laid it across the closest arm. As couches went, it was comfy enough. If he had to spend the night away from his own bed, it would be a decent replacement. Grabbing the pillow, he placed it behind his head and stretched out, his long legs taking up the space.

Eyes closed, he pretended to be dozing when the bathroom door opened again. The air in the living room changed as the moist air from the bathroom mixed with it. He heard the soft padding of Akane’s feet as she walked across the living room to turn down the lights. Though he felt her eyes on him, she never paused until she got to the bedroom. “Good night, Mr. Kogami,” she whispered. There was a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

“Good night, Inspector Tsunemori,” he replied.

“Ever watchful, aren’t you?”

“Ever faithful.” He smiled to hear the life return to her voice. Shortly thereafter, he heard the bedroom door close behind her. “Sleep tight, Akane,” he whispered.

Kogami sat up, his eyes adjusting to the dimness. He wanted a cigarette in the worst way, but wasn’t ready to compound his rudeness as an invited guest. Searching the kitchen counters, he saw a decorative jar of toothpicks and went to retrieve one before returning to the comfort of the couch. At that moment, her bedroom door opened. He could barely see her silhouette as it retreated into the darkness, followed by the sound of rustling sheets. The base contentment of his life as a latent criminal, even as an Enforcer, weighed heavily on his chest. It was a very cold, very lonely moment. 

Rolling the toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other, he set to work on a recent investigation and its case files. He put his wristcom on the coffee table and accessed the MWPSB server. If Akane’s gut feeling proved wrong and Ginoza did find out about his little sleepover, Kogami would need evidence to clear her of any wrongdoing. That, or he would be forced to push Ginoza down a flight of stairs to keep him from yelling at her. He smiled wickedly imagining the look on Ginoza’s face as he became weightless, if only for a moment.

Some hours later curiosity got the better of Kogami. As he paced the apartment awaiting any intrusion, he paused by Akane’s bedroom door and peered in at her. Exhaustion had fully laid claim to her. Dressed in an MWPSB t-shirt, she slept among a mountain of colored pillows and stuffed animals. At one point, he heard a distinct, whistling snore. She talked in her sleep, too, chiding Ginoza for calling her paranoid and then in the next breath arguing with friends over the perfect color for her shoes.

Their most recent investigation had been a long one. Kogami was working well into 36 hours without sleep. Yearning for that cup of tea, he went into the kitchen to make some. He found a mug in the dry rack and read the wording on the side: _That which needs to be done is carried out by those capable_. That came as no surprise, and he shook his head while the water heated. As he stirred sugar into the steaming tea, he heard muffled sounds of distress coming from Akane’s bedroom.

In the grip of a nightmare, Akane thrashed in her bed, fighting an assailant that only she could see. She cried out in fury as she struggled to fight off the phantasm. Pillows, stuffed animals, and blankets were thrown to the floor in the battle. Kogami almost went into the bedroom to shake her free of the nightmare, but propriety rooted him right to the spot at the threshold of her door. 

Before he could think to shout her name and rouse her, Akane gasped his name loudly in terror and sat up. “Kogami!”

When their eyes met, he asked, “Are you alright?”

“What happened?” She was breathing deeply, labored, one hand clasped against her heaving chest.

“You were having a nightmare.” He leaned against the doorframe, still holding the mug of tea.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

There was no good answer to give except the truth, delivered with a smug grin. “I have the free run of a young woman’s apartment while she sleeps. I’d have thought the bedroom was out of bounds.”

She laughed and bowed her head.

“If our colleagues do get wind of this, Kagari will never forgive me for not going through your underwear drawer.”

Labored breathing became laughter that shook her shoulders and restored the color to her face and the energy to her eyes.

“Made some tea.” He showed her the mug. “Might help you sleep.”

“Yes, please.” As he turned to leave, she shouted, “Hey, where are you going?”

“You wanted some tea.”

“You have a mug right there.”

Eyes wide with understanding, he nodded. “Ah, I’ve already sampled this. Might be a bit sweet for your tastes.”

“Doesn’t matter. I like sweet things.” She stared at him for a long, awkward moment. “What are you waiting for?”

“Permission.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, barely containing her laughter. “Mr. Kogami, you have permission to enter my bedroom for the purpose of sharing your tea and waking me up from any nightmares.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Kogami stepped into the room and with both hands, carefully handed her the hot tea. He sat down on the corner of a nearby nightstand with a bemused look.

“This is delicious!”

“Glad you like it. What do you want for breakfast?”

“Seriously? You can cook?”

She was back to her old self, despite the bruise and cut above her right eye and the swelling in the fingers of her hand. Injuries that would heal in time. He was more concerned about the deeper, emotional wounds.

“Masaoka says I have potential.”

“Chocolate chip pancakes.”

“Done!” He took the tea from her and straightened the sheets over her legs. “You get back to sleep. I’ll wake you up at, say 6:00?”

Her earlier excitement faded. Reluctantly, she curled back into her pillows.

“What’s wrong?”

“Could you stay here with me? Until I fall asleep?”

Kogami felt a pang of sorrow stab at his heart. “I’m not going anywhere.” He sat back down on the nightstand.

“And if I have another nightmare—“

“Not while I’m here.”

Akane smiled, as he raised the sheets to her chin. “Thank you, Mr. Kogami.”

“My pleasure, Inspector.”

Ten minutes later the soft whistle of her snores could be heard rising above the snout of a yellow Tyrannosaurus Rex. With a chuckle under his breath, Kogami took a sip of his tea and returned to his case files in the living room.

Kogami slowly rubbed at his weary eyes, momentarily resting his forehead on his folded hands. A quick check of his wristcom showed that he had worked well into the dawn. Forty hours with no sleep. Unfortunately, it was looking like Ginoza might have been right about Akane’s paranoia. Despite the death threats, no bad guys arrived in the night. No intruders stole into her apartment while she slept. The night had passed uneventfully with the exception of one jarring nightmare. A few sips of hot tea and a bedside vigil had sent the young Inspector back into a peaceful slumber among pastel pillows and stuffed animals.

The case files to cover their sleepover story were complete and awaiting her review. He had taken the time to password protect all of them. If Ginoza wanted to see his work, he would have to wait until Akane had signed off on each one. It was a ploy to redirect is old friend’s anger where it belonged, squarely on Kogami’s shoulders. 

He toyed with the idea of a quick power nap while Akane was in the bathroom getting ready for work. Breakfast was almost ready. Everything he needed was laid out on the counter: pancake batter, eggs, and chocolate chips, just as she had asked. That’s when he heard a noise from the front door. The familiar grating sound of an umbrella stand sliding across unpolished wood.

Rolling the toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other, Kogami glanced at the bathroom door. There were no immediate shadows on the floor at the threshold. Akane was still getting dressed. He snatched the tie from his neck and tied it around the handles to prevent them from being easily opened. Taking the stun baton from his pocket, he deftly slipped around the corner and into the open closet in the hallway. Pressed against the wall, he snapped the baton to extend it and waited for the intruder to come farther inside. His intuition had proved correct and his simple trap effective.

The intruder was quiet and cautious. Kogami risked a quick peek and saw a gloved hand moving the umbrella stand away from the door to avoid knocking it over onto the floor. From the front door to the living room, the interloper moved with a deliberate measure of stealth. There was nothing for him to truly fear at that time in the morning, especially when he was only expecting to encounter a young woman, alone, in the apartment. 

That thought only infuriated Kogami. Patiently, he waited until the perp had moved passed the closet and just beyond him. He wanted to strike quietly and effectively, taking the guy down before Akane even knew something was amiss. Bringing up the stun baton, he hyper-focused on the base of the man’s neck.

“She’s in the shower.”

“Then this’ll be easy.”

There were two of them! 

Kogami stifled a gasp of surprise in the back of his throat. Advantage now was more important than ever. He could not know the level of their training until he engaged them, which made it imperative that he take down and incapacitate one of them while he fought with the other man. His advantage of surprise was nearly lost when the first perpetrator turned to face his compatriot and saw Kogami in the corner of the closet. 

Springing from the shadows, the Enforcer landed a crippling blow to the back of the second man’s skull. There was a satisfying numbness that went through his fingers and into his wrist as the baton fractured bone under the force of the impact. On the mark, the baton delivered a sobering shock to the spinal cord. The man convulsed erratically and dropped to the floor, still quivering in the throes of the stun baton’s effects. He dropped a small metallic object from his hand. The partially opened parcel cutter, meant for slicing open heavy cardboard boxes, slid across the hardwood floor and vanished under the couch. 

The first man, glancing at his companion on the floor, was quick to react. He slashed at Kogami with his cutter and scored a lucky shot, dragging the razor across the Enforcer’s right hand. Kogami dropped the stun baton, which the intruder kicked back into the corridor near the front door. Completing the offensive maneuver, he brought the razor back up across Kogami’s face, slicing the skin above his right eyebrow.

Blood had been drawn, flowing along the side of his face. _Blood for blood!_ Kogami grabbed the assailant’s hand to prevent him from striking again with the cutter. Stepping into him, he shoved his elbow into the man’s sternum and knocked the air from his lungs with a stunning blow. Dirty fighting was something he enjoyed. Snatching the toothpick from his mouth, he held it tightly between his fingers and stabbed it into the man’s eye. With a howl of pain, the attacker reeled back, pressing his hands against his face.

There came a loud rattling from farther in the apartment, accompanied by the pounding of angry fists on the bathroom door. “Kogami! What’s going on? Why can’t I open this door?”

The assailant made only a moment of eye contact, then with a crazed grin raced into the living room toward the sound of Akane’s voice. Kogami laughed. Akane was, for the moment, safe with a door between the intruder and her well being. The perp didn’t know that. Eager to sacrifice himself to accomplish his task, he turned his back on the most dangerous thing in the room: _her hound_.

With a well placed kick, the bloodied Enforcer sent his rival flying backwards, the cutter still grasped in his hand. Kogami grabbed the arm with the weapon and gave it a savage twist that wrenched the shoulder, dislocating it from the socket. In an effort to break free, the man managed to land a wild punch on the cut above Kogami’s eye. 

The Enforcer caught the flailing arm and used his knee to force the assailant’s elbow to bend backward at the wrong angle. The impromptu knife went flying in one direction while the body of its wielder went another. Soaring over the couch, the man somersaulted in the air and landed on his back, crushing the coffee table beneath his weight. Glass and wood shattered beneath the force of the impact.

“Kogami! Open this door right now!” Akane demanded.

He was in predation mode and not open to any discussion. Akane didn’t need to see what was coming next. In no particular hurry, Kogami waited for the intruder to crawl back to his feet. His opponent was not too steady and knew the fight was over, soon to end in his disadvantage. The target was behind a door, and a bloody MWPSB Enforcer stood between him and his objective. The anarchist could barely see between the ruin of his eye and blood running through the other.

_That’s right,_ Kogami thought, _take the easy way out._

To help the criminal make the right decision, Kogami glanced at the window. Thinking to outrun the Enforcer, the perp made a break for it, but Kogami was a stride ahead of him. Shifting his weight from back to front, he used the criminal’s forward momentum to throw him off balance and through the plate glass. It shattered noisily as 180 pounds was propelled through the center of it. 

The criminal landed in a heap in the corner of the fire escape, but he was still moving. His face had taken the brunt of the impact with the window. Deep gashes marred his face, and shards of glass jutted from the lacerated skin. Kogami grabbed him by the hair and slammed his forehead into the railing. His second assault was perhaps too overzealous because the criminal flipped helplessly over the rail. A ten story drop awaited him. Kogami wasn’t certain if he’d survive it; so he grabbed one of the man’s flailing hands and held on, slapping a cuff around his wrist.

“Give me your other hand!” Kogami shouted. He propped his foot against the railing and used his weight to counter the man’s plunge. “I said, _give_ me your other hand. I have no problem letting you drop. You can tell your story to the concrete.”

Barely conscious, the criminal tapped at the top rail with his free hand. Kogami cuffed it and let go. With a yelp, the assailant fell three feet, no more, his wrists handcuffed around the bottom railing. He swung suspended in that fashion above the street. 

Kogami returned to the apartment to find Akane standing in the doorway. She had managed to wriggle a hand through the door and undo the tie he had knotted to lock her inside the bathroom. Wrapped in only a towel, she stood clutching it about her slender body as she stared in shock at the unconscious man lying on her living room floor and the shattered glass from the busted window across from her. 

“Wh-what just happened?”

“You were right,” he replied. “That’s what happened. If you hadn’t listened to your gut instinct, your morning might have gone quite differently.” He took a deep breath, as the adrenaline rush within him subsided. “Got another pair of cuffs?”

Akane stepped back into the bathroom, where she searched through her clothes hamper and tossed him a pair.

Jamming his knee into the back of the criminal’s neck, Kogami put the cuffs on his wrists and tightened them until the metal visibly pinched the skin. It was not standard protocol, and he risked reprimand. In his mind, however, the perpetrator was lucky he was even alive. Even if Kogami had a Dominator in his possession, the Enforcer would have taken his time to dole out a bit of personal justice for himself on behalf of Akane.

“You might want to call this in. Get some back up in case there are others lurking nearby. And,” Kogami added, grinning mischievously, “maybe put some clothes on, before you catch pneumonia. Not necessarily in that order.”

“Mr. Kogami. This—this isn’t the time for joking. I’ve got an unconscious man on my living room floor and another,” she struggled to see out onto the balcony, “another one swinging from my fire escape.”

“It’s not up to me, Inspector. Depends on how comfortable you are facing Ginoza wearing a bath towel. I don’t think he’d notice, but Kagari would.”

She blushed profusely, her cheeks crimson in contrast to the pastel pink towel. With a cry of alarm that sounded like a mouse caught in the open, the Inspector hurried back to the safety of the bathroom. In short order, Kogami heard her calling in a Code 285: Special Circumstance—Officer in need of immediate assistance.”

_“Good girl.”_

The code was a good choice. While she was unharmed and his own injuries were minor, the call would have the whole of Division 1 on the premises in eight minutes. By then the man on the floor might be conscious enough to answer questions, and the man hanging from the balcony might still have the barest of sensation in his fingers. Until then, it was time to make the breakfast he had promised her.

By the time the cavalry arrived, Akane was dressed in a formal suit. Fresh coffee was perking, and the apartment smelled of hot cakes and eggs with an underlying scent of cinnamon and vanilla. Kogami kept himself busy in the kitchen as drones and forensic pillbots did their work.

“You made a good call, Ko. Risky as hell, but worthwhile,” Masaoka said quietly. “Girl could have been in serious trouble if you hadn’t been here.”

“I’m here because she asked me. If there’s any praise to be had, it’s hers.”

“So, Kogami!” Kagari slumped over the breakfast nook, head in his hands. His face was all teeth and cheeks, which were nearly as bright as his ginger hair. His was a toothy grin to rival any Cheshire Cat. “Can I ask the obvious question?”

“If you mention anything about panties, you’ll be eating pancakes through a tube.”

Kagari’s disappointment was evident, exaggerated by an overdramatic frown. But like the moods of a tropical storm, it was short lived. “Are those chocolate chip pancakes?”

“Hands off!” Kogami slapped his hand with the hot spatula. “Those are Akane’s. Here.” He pushed a dish toward the younger Enforcer. “I ran out of chocolate chips. Those are cinnamon.”

“Even better!” Kagari grabbed two handfuls, ignoring any syrup, and devoured one in a single bite. “This is delicious!” He swiftly ate the other one. “Who knew you could cook? Or look so seductive in an apron.” The red-head leaned once more across the counter. “Give it up, Ko. You went through Akane’s drawers, didn’t you?”

“Pops? A little assistance?”

Masaoka grabbed Kagari by the ear and maneuvered the overzealous Enforcer back toward the crime scene. “Don’t you have something else to do?”

“Something to eat before you go?” Kogami asked.

“Coffee, if you got it.”

Kogami poured him a cup and nodded as the older Enforcer took their younger colleague back to the working crime scene. From the corner of his eye, he watched the Inspectors, who were standing across the room. Ginoza fiercely pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, a tell of his annoyance. He was asking the questions. Akane nodded, arms crossed over her chest, and calmly fired back answers. She was back in the game and that pleased him. There wasn’t much more to worry about except the sizzling of the batter in the pan before him.

“Hey,” he said as she walked over to join him at the stove. “Sorry to turn your kitchen into a diner. Seemed like the right thing at that moment.”

“It was, Mr. Kogami. I’m really sorry you got hurt in all this. Does it hurt?” She squinted in pain while examining the stitches just above his brow.

“No big deal. Looks like we’ll having matching shiners for the next day or two. Better eat up before it gets cold. Or worse.”

“Worse? What could be worse?”

“Kagari could come back for thirds. I ran out of chocolate chips and had to use cinnamon. He doesn’t care.”

She nibbled on the edge of the pancake, her face lit up with excitement. “These are to die for!”

Kogami laughed. “Might be a poor choice of words, considering recent events. Those criminals were armed with box cutters. They meant to do you some serious harm.”

“I know. If it weren’t for you being here, they might have gotten their chance. I’m not too thrilled about it.”

He glanced up from his work. “Speaking of not being thrilled.” He indicated Ginoza through a subtle nod. “Was he mad?”

“He wants to be, but he was wrong. I’m afraid he may be harsher with you than he was with me.”

“I can handle it.”

Akane’s eyes widened, and she straightened abruptly. Kogami recognized the specter of Ginoza before the shadow of his former friend could fall across the counter. 

“And what can I expect from your version of this sordid story?” the senior Inspector asked with a sneer.

“Same as hers,” Kogami replied, never looking up from the stovetop. He picked up three eggs in one hand, cracked them neatly, and began scrambling them. “We were working on a case. It got late. That’s all.”

“Is it?”

“Something you want to say, Inspector? I’m all ears.”

“Maybe I do—“

“Maybe if you had listened to Inspector Tsunemori instead of trying to make her look foolish, this could have been avoided. Maybe it would have been _you_ sitting here, cuffing the perps and keeping her safe.” Kogami aggressively worked the eggs against the hot pan. “Doubt you have any cooking talent, but that’s besides the point. You were wrong. _Again_. And it could have meant her life. _Her life._ Does that mean anything to you?”

“I—“

“I’m not finished. Masaoka tells me the drones found three other perps waiting in hiding. How many more are out there? The threat was real, all too real. You need to spend less time worrying about tending the hounds in the kennel and a bit more on your responsibilities to your fellow Inspector.” Kogami turned off the burners and gently placed a paper towel over the eggs to absorb any residual grease. “There. I’m done.”

Chided by the truth in every word, Ginoza paled. His eyes were hidden beneath a dark mane of hair, but Kogami felt their ire. “I’ll expect a full report by this afternoon, Enforcer Kogami.”

“Trust me. You’ll have it.”

Shoulders stiff with fury, Ginoza glared at Akane and left them to oversee the prisoner transport.

“Was that wise putting him on the spot like that?” She made a sandwich of her pancakes and eggs.

“He’ll get over it. He’ll rationalize it away—minimalizing and negating speculation—placing theory above experience. I’m nothing, just a latent criminal. My words have little meaning to a man like him.” 

“But that’s not true. I’ve learned so much just listening to you.”

“Oh, really? Such as?”

“When you get a gut feeling, don’t ignore it.”

“And?” He removed the apron and neatly tucked it into the handle on the front of the stove. 

“And that there are boundaries that should not be crossed.”

“Oh?” Heart racing at her choice of words, Kogami braced himself for a lecture about their ranks and their delineation.

Akane put her hand on his sleeve. “And some boundaries that really don’t exist, except within our minds.”

Simultaneously, their wristcoms lit up with an incoming message alert. “Looks like the scanners picked up one or two of those bad guys trying to run away,” Kogami said.

Akane nodded in agreement. “All available Inspectors and Enforcers are being summoned to the area.” She smiled sadly. “It’s been a very long night, Mr. Kogami. Are you up for the hunt?” She held up his tie and put it around his neck when he bent over.

“You know, you’re going to owe me one after this,” he whispered.

“Private protection. Nightmare watch. Tea and breakfast. I owe you more than one.”

Grabbing his jacket, Kogami shrugged into it with a smile well hidden by the action. “Let’s go.”


End file.
